was browsing thru some old photos i took from Khoo Kongsi when i saw this.

is the fella giving a middle finger?

Just now after collecting the wedding DVD from the photographer, Julz & I decided to check out any nice place to makan around Pulau Tikus, since the photog office was somewhere near the Sleeping Buddha temple.

After passing by the Burmah House row of shops, we decided to try Nippon Yataimura, which came highly recommended by a fwen.  Well, the ambience of the place is not bad, with four rows of tables but only the middle 2 have access to the kaiten belt.  One thing I really disliked about the place was its ok-to-smoke policy though the place has air conditioning.  Which maybe only gay will appreciate :p

The place has quite a large selection of bento sets, comes with chawamushi, miso soup, salad and 2 slices of water melon. Julz ordered the chicken teriyaki set, RM18.  I on the other hand was spying the couple across the kaiten belt and the Katsu Nabe (RM18) he was eating looked good.  So i ordered the same thing.  Though the Gyoza set looked nice, I don't wanna eat any gyoza unless Mut made it.  Btw, green tea, hot or cold, is free of charge.

The set menu.  Sorry bad photography skills

Chicken Teriyaki set (RM18)

Katsu Nabe (RM18).  Notice that the Katsu Strips are boiling in a claypot on top of fire.

Julz's teriyaki chicken came out lukewarm so she didn't really like it.  My katsu nabe on the other hand was very nice.  The egg strips simmered nicely in the sweet-tangy boiling hot sauce.  Every strip of katsu (the real thing, bukan ayam mia) was very hot !!!.  I almost scalded my tongue !!  Well, almost almost.

Overall, no bad lah, just i really dun like ppl smoke in air con place.

Ask around anybody who stays in Mainland Penang, and chances are they have a favorite restaurant among those available in Bukit Tambun, Penang. I am sure true blue Seberang Prai kia like ddcat and fatket sure have their own so called 'favorite' one. 

One of my favorite amidst the fanfare is How Kee Seafood Restaurant.  It's easy to find the place,  it's just less than 500 meters away from Bukit Tambun exit along the North-South Expressway.  Upon exiting the toll plaza, make a 3 o'clock turn at the miniscule roundabout and just go straight. You will pass by a crossroad (no traffic light one), How Kee is on your right.

I usually go to How Kee because they prepare they food there very fast and they taste nice, plus parking is not much of a problem compared to those at the end of the road.  Last week, to celebrate Dongzi,  me + Julz + my sis went to How Kee.

First dish we order

Lala in sour sauce (yucky, not nice at all) - RM 10

Cheem with salted egg (si pek ho liao) - RM 50 for 2 big crab

We also ordered fried sotong (RM 8) and stir fry vege (RM 6).  Remember to try the fried kankong with sambal, it is very nice.  But we somehow wanted to try something more 清(qing - meaning clear) that day so we didnt order the kankong.  All in all, plus drinks we spent RM 81 for 3 persons.  Not bad hor.... 

According to one of my friends who hail from Kuala Kurau, Bukit Tambun used to be one of the busier of fishing villages on mainland Penang, getting its supply of fresh catch daily, thus the bargain pricing. 

However now the place is more of a seafood lover's hideout and the abundance of competition among restaurants ensure that prices are always reasonable and freshness is guaranteed.  Word has it Bukit Tambun seafood restaurants now source their catch from smaller fishing towns like Parit Buntar.

Do you have a favorite among Tambun restaurants?  Any recommendation ?  Am I paying too high for the same kind of food you can get elsewhere?  Do give your comment ya :)  Mai Loong Song Chai

After staying in Penang for almost 5 years, many KLites tend learn to adapt to different naming conventions for their favorite food.  To illustrate what I mean,  what is 'Laksa' in KL is known as "Curry Mee" in Penang.  And "Hokkien Mee" in KL is "Tai Lok Mee" up north.  If you order Hokkien Mee in Penang, you will get a bowl of delicious noodles in a prawn-based broth with a scoop of chilli paste sitting in your soup lake.

Now back to the namesake of this post; on Loop Road in Seremban, you will find a shop called "Restoran Asia".  It serves one of the best laksas (curry mee for those of you up north) I have tried before.

Each bowl (small) costs RM 4 and comes with generous amounts of cockles, 2 big pieces of curry chicken, some tau pok (deep fried bean curd) and some sambal (prawn paste) to add to your liking.

The cockles were a bit too raw for me but I understand that some people like it with a bit of raw, bloody taste to go with the steamy hot gravy.  The curry has an even body (normally achieved by using real santan (coconut milk) and added just before serving) and the chicken pieces are tender and not too fatty.

Like the usual penang fare, you can choose either noodles or beehoon (rice vermicelli) or a mixture of both, and for those who fear arsenic poisoning, you can opt for no taugeh (bean sprouts).

For having a good combo of quality material and great taste for a reasonable price, I give Seremban Asia Laksa a 4 star out of 5.

(From left) Ryan and Aden

Aren't they cute? 

Merry Christmas btw

I just got this email a few minutes ago, it seems that Asian aviation success story aka Air Asia is making its way to Gold Coast, Australia.

Sans the thus far unknown amount for airport taxes, surcharges and fees, it costs only RM 50 to fly one way, somewhat a meagre amount compared to the usual arm-and-leg especially during the year end rush. 

If Jetstar's standard affair is anything to go by, the taxes would cost somewhere around RM409.50.  (See the following report on thestar.com.my)

So for a return flight from KUL, if the RM50 applies for both ways, it would cost somewhere around RM919.00.

Now compare that with an SQ flight departing from Changi.  It would cost SGD 1379.00 !! (All in)

Well i hope more budget carriers will sprout and rejuvenate the aviation industry, and most importantly, more of the middle class can travel  !!